Bed-chair



2 Sheets-Sheet l. J. G. WOOD.

BED CHAIR (No Model.)

No. 500,091. Patented June 20,1893

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. G. WOOD.

BED CHAIR.

No. 500,091. Patented June 20, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC JAMES C. WOOD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA:

BED-CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,091, dated June 20,1893.

Application filed March 21, 1893. Serial No. 467014. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. WVOOD, a cit-izen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented newand useful Improvements in Bed-Chairs, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Heretofore the objection to bed chairs has been that in order to providea bed of only the ordinary length when the chair is unfolded, the backof the chair must be made so low as to practically destroy its merits asa chair. As-made heretofore if the back is made of the customary heightof the back of sofa chairs, when the chair is unfolded toform the bed,the bed will be too long, say eight feet or more in length. That is tosay, heretofore it has been the practice to hinge the back (orsupplemental section which forms the head rest of the bed) to the top ofthe back of the chair, for the reason that, in order to give a suitablesupport for the head, the top of the back of the chair must project outbeyond the portion which supports the backof the person using the chairand if this projecting portion is not attached to the supplementalsection, it acts as a stop when such section is unfolded from the backand prevents the said section from unfolding sufficiently far to permitthe use of such section as a head rest for the bed; thus, if the back isthirty inches in height, the supplemental section will have to be of thesamelength, or nearly so, and when the supplemental section is unfoldedfrom the back, the two sections alone will make a bed of about five feetin length; the seat of the chair is properly always rounded in thecenter, and to form a comfortable bed it is desirable to attach thisrounded upholstered portion of the seat to a seat section which ishinged to the front of the base section and arranged to unfold to thefront to form the foot rest for the bed 5 the seat should be at leasteighteen inches wide, and when the seat section is unfolded from thebase the base and seat section add thirty-six inches to the length ofthe bed which, with the back and supplemental section would form a bedof nearly eight feet in length.

Heretofore it has been the custom to make the back of the chair lowenough to form a bed of the proper length when the chair is unfolded,thus making a convenient bed, but destroying its artistic andcomfortable qualities when used as a chair.

One object of my invention is to produce a folding chair which will havethe desired height of back and which, when unfolded, will form a bed ofonly the ordinary length.

A further object of my invention is to so arrange the various parts ofthe chair that when folded the joints or seams between the sections willbe entirely hid from view so that the chair will present the appearanceof an ordinary sofa chair.

A further object of my invention is to simplify and increase theelficiency of operation of the devicefor pulling out the drawer beneaththe chair to support the back when the back is lowered, which device isan improvement over that shown by me in application filed November 19,1892, Serial No. 452,503.

My invention comprises the combination of the base section, a seatsection hinged to the front of such base section and arranged to foldupon such base section; a main back section hinged to the rear of thebase section; an auxiliary or supplemental back section hinged to thetop of the main back sec-' tion and arranged to fold upon such backsection, and the chair head rest section hinged to the top of the mainback section and arranged to project over the edge of the auxiliarysection when the chair is folded to form the head restfo'r the chairandto swingdownward and to the rear when the chair is unfolded to form thebed, thus to remove the roll out of the way of the auxiliary sectionwhen such auxiliary section is unfolded to form the head rest of thebed.

My invention also comprises various combinations and arrangements ofparts hereinafter fully set forth.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective side elevation of the frame-Work of the chairin the position it assumes when unfolded to form a bed. In this view theupholstering is removed to clearly show the parts. Fig. 2 is aperspective top side view of the chair unfolded. This view is the sameas Fig. 2 but with the upholstering in place to form the bed. Fig. 3 isa side elevation of the framework of the chair in its folded position.Fig. i is a sectional View of the same to show the arrangement of parts.Fig. 5 is a fragmental front view of a portion of the frame illustratingthe projection of the seat section beyond the base section.

A is a main or base section to the top of the rear side of which ispivoted or hinged the back section B. To the top of the back section ispivoted the head roll section C by a hinge 0 arranged at the rear sideof the back section. To the top of the front side of the back section ispivoted the supplemental back section D. The roll section 0 ishinged tothe back section in order to allow it to be swung downward out of theway of the head rest section when the head rest section is unfolded fromthe back section; t. -e., the upholstering upon the roll sectionprojects beyond the plane of the front of the head rest section, andwhen the head rest section is unfolded from the back section, if v theroll is rigid with the back section, theupholstering on the roll sectionand the head rest section will engage and will prevent the head restsection from fully unfolding.

Suitable means are arranged to hold the roll section firmly upon theback section when the device is used as a chair. As shown, these meansconsist of a cord 0' attached at one end to the roll section near thefront edge of such roll section and passing thence through suitableguides arranged upon the back section, downward and forward to thebasesection and has its other end attached to the rear of the bottom ofthe base section below the point at which the back section is wardlyprojecting arms e" e" which are righinged to the base section. When thechair is in its folded position as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 the cordisdrawn taut and the roll is bound firmly upon the top of the backsection, and whenthe back is lowered, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the cordis loosened by reason of the change of angle between the main and backsection and the roll is allowed to swing backon its hinges by reason ofits own weight out of the way to allow the head rest section to beunfolded from the back section.

The seat section E is hinged at oneedge to the front of the main or basesection A and is arranged to project over the front and the side edge ofsuch main section. This projection e serves to conceal the joint betweenthe main section and the seat section at the sides of the chair and alsoallows more convenient and artistic upholsteringof the front of thechair. By this projection upon the front of the chair I am enabled toset thehinges -e' i flush with the front of the seat section so thatwhen the chair is upholstered the hinges are not visible from the front,and joints of the hinges do not project beyond the edge of the seatsection to push out the plush,thus OflllS'. ingthe plush to be liable towear at the projecting portion.

The seat section is provided with the upidly secured to the seat sectionand when the seat section is reversed to form the foot of the couch'thearms are also reversed and project downward below the level of the bedout of the way of the occupant of the bed. This projection of the seatsection beyond the sides of the base section while connecting the jointsbetween the two sections also serves the purpose of forming a moreartistic chair.

In many folding bed chairs and lounges of which I am aware the seatsection is arranged to fold down between thearms of the chair after theback of the chair has been raised. In somelounges the backs arestationary. By reason of this, in order to form a neat joint between theback section and the seat section, the projection of the upholsteringcauses the seat section to strike against the back section at a pointconsiderably above the seat of the chair when folded. The folding andunfolding of the seat section against the back section cause the plushtowear quite rapidly and after a few months use the'wear is visible. Sincethe object of such chairs is to conceal the real use to which they areplaced, the principal object for which they are designed is defeated. Afurther disadvantage of this arrangement is that when the chair ismoved,'the seat is liable -to fall outward by its own weight since thereis nothing to retain it in place except the friction between the backand the seat section. I overcome this difficulty by providing a chairwith the seat section hinged to the base section and arranged with itsrear face substantially flush' withthe rear side of the base sectionwhen. such seat section is folded thereupon and by providing a head restsection of suitable length -to rest upon the top of the rear-edge ofsuch seat section when thechair is folded to thereby cover the jointbetween the seat section and the back section and at the same time holdthe seat section firmly upon the base section. The armse engage with thehead rest section and prevent it from opening outward; the chair is thusrigidly locked together and may be moved into any position withoutdanger of unfolding.

The means for holding the back elevated consists of the shore-brace Fpivotedto the back section at one end and arranged to engagethe stopf.(which is providedupon the mainsection A) when the back is elevated.

My improveddrawenpull comprises the combination of the guide rod G fixedto the basesection by suitable it means and the push lever G having oneend perforated and arranged to slidealong such guide and having itsother end pivotally attached to the back :sectiouB below the pivotalpointof attachment between the back section andthebase section; thecordg attachedto such leverat one side of theguide rod and running fromthence back over the pulley g and forward to the front of the drawer hto which it isattached 'in a manner similartothat shown in myformerapplication. The objection to my former arrangement which I desire toobviate, is that the cord sometimes becomes tangled in the guide-way andis liable to become out by'the guide block. By attaching the cord to thepush lever at oneside of the guide rod I am enabled to entirely avoidthis difliculty.

Other means for attaching the head rest roll to the main back section sothat it.may be moved downward or to the rear when it is desired tounfold the supplemental section from the main back section may beemployed without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instancethe cord 0' may be attached to the supporting arms S instead of beingattached to the bottom of the base section, so that when thesupplemental section is unfolded from the main back section the rollwill swing down in the same manner in which it operates in theconstruction hereinbefore described, but such a change may be made byany one versed in the art and further description is unnecessary.

Another feature of construction whereby I greatly increase theconvenience of operation of the working parts of the chair consists inproviding the base section A with double walls a, a arranged to form achamber upon each side of the chair to respectively chamber the shorebraces or stops which support the back section in its elevated position,and having the base section B which is hinged to the rear of the basesection provided with shore or ratchet braces F F each adapted andarranged to slide forward into. its respective chamber when the'back ofthe chair is lowered.

The supplemental back section D is supported by the supporting arms S asshown and described in my former application, and these arms arearranged to slide forward into a chamber B in the sides of the main backmember B when the supplemental member is folded upon the back member. Bythis arrangement of the double walls the shore or ratchet braces areremoved out of the way and do not interfere with the use of independentmattresses in the main back section and in the base section, and the'working parts are not liable to get out of order, and cannot becomedisplaced by any ordinary usage of the chair.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a folding bed-chair having its back hinged to the base, thecombination set forth of the main and supplemental back sections hingedtogether at the top, and the head rest roll hinged to the rear edge ofthe top of the back and adapted and arranged to fold upon the top of theback and cover the joint between the main and supplemental sections whenthe back is erect,and to be swung out of the way to allow the twosections of the back to be unfolded.

2. A folding bed chair comprising the combination of the base section;the seat section back section; the chair head rest roll section pivotedor hinged to the rear of the top of the hack section and adapted andarranged to cover the joint between the main and supplemental sectionsand to form the head rest roll for the chair when the back is raised andto swing backward and downward when the back of the chair is lowered,whereby the roll may be moved out of the way of the supplemental sectionwhen the supplemental section is unfolded from the main back section toform the head rest for the bed.

3. A folding chair comprising the combina- 'tion of the base section;the seat section hinged to the front of such base section and arrangedto fold upon such base section; the main back section hinged to the rearof the base section; the supplemental back section hinged to the top ofthe front of the main back section; the chair head rest roll sectionpivoted or hinged to the main back section and adapted to cover thejoint between the main and supplemental sections and to form the headrest roll for the chair when the chair is in its folded position,

and to swing downward and to the rear when the chair is unfolded to forma bed, wherebyv the roll is removed out of the Way of the supplementalsection when the supplemental section is unfolded from the main backsection to form the bed.

4. A bed couch provided witha base section; a back section hinged to therear of such base section; a supplemental section hinged to the top ofthe front of such back section; and a seat section hinged to the frontof the base section and arranged to project over the sides and front ofsuch base section when such seat section is folded upon the basesection, whereby the projection covers the joint between the seatsection and the base section at the sides of the chair when the seatsection is folded upon the base section, and the hinges connecting theseat section to the front of the base section may be set back flush withthe edge of such seat section as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a folding bed, the combination of the base section; the backsection hinged to the rear of the base section; the guide rod fixed tothe bottom of the base section; the push lever having one end arrangedto slide along such guide rod and having its other end pivotallyattached to the back section below the pivotal point of attachmentbetween the base section and the back section; a pulley attached to therear of the base section; a drawer arranged to slide beneath said basesection; and the cord attached to the push lever at one side of theguide rod and running thence over the pulley and thence forward andattachedto the front of the drawer.

6. A folding bed chair comprising the combination of the base section,the back section hinged to the rear of such base section; the head rollsection hinged to the rear of the back section and arranged upon the topof such back section to cover the joint between the main andsupplemental sections and to form the head rest roll for the chair; thecord attached at one end to the head rest roll section near the frontedge of such rollsection and passing thence through suitable guidesarranged upon the back section downward and forward to the main or basesection and having its other end attached to the rear'of the bottom ofthe main section below the point at which the back section is hinged tothe main section all so arranged that when the back is in its elevatedposition, the cord will be drawn taut and will firmly hold the rollsection upon the top of the back section to form the head rest for thechair, and that when the back is lowered the cord will be loosened andallow the roll to swing outward and downward away from the back section.

7. A bed chair comprising the combination of the base section; the seatsection pivoted to the front of the base section; the main back sectionpivoted or hinged to the rear of such base section; the supplementalback section pivoted or hinged to the top of the front of such main backsection; the head rest roll arranged uponthe topof such main backsectionto cover the joint between the main and supplemental sections and toformthe head rest for the chair, and suitable means arranged an adapted toconnect the head rest roll with the main back section to hold the rollfirmly in position upon the top of such main section when the chair isin its folded position, and to allow the roll to be moved to the rear ordownward when the chair is unfolded to form the bed, whereby the roll isremoved out of the way of the supplemental back section when suchsection is unfolded from the main back section to form the head rest forthe bed.

JAMES o. WOOD.

